Description
Book Synopsis This work brings a fresh perspective to the history of modern prizefighting, a sport which has evolved over several centuries to become one of mankind''s most lasting and valued sporting attractions. With his primary focus outside the ropes, the author shows how organizers, publicity agents, and political allies overcame both legal and moral roadblocks to make fisticuffing a lively commercial enterprise.
The book begins with the clandestine bare-knuckle fights in eighteenth-century London, and ends with the vibrant, large-scale productions of modern Las Vegas fight nights. Along the way, he explains many of the myths about antiquarian prizefighters, describes the origins of slave fight folklore, and examines the forces that transformed Las Vegas into the world''s leading venue for important fights.
Trade Reviewrecommended" -
Choice"excellent...outstanding...extremely well researched and referenced" -
East Side Boxing"outstanding...recommend[ed]" -
www.chicagoboxing.com"well written" -
Amatoboxing"a great job...excellent...a must-read" -
www.dieiscast.com"a pleasure to sit down with a well-written, painstakingly researched boxing book...I have seldom enjoyed a book on boxing as much as I did this one...written in the erudite fashion one would expect from a sociologist and teacher...written with love...most heartily recommend" -
www.fightwriter.com"a worthy addition...recommended" -
www.boxingscene.com"Throughout my life I have read several boxing history books. I am always seeking more knowledge of this brutal yet beautiful sport aptly called the 'sweet science.' The newly released boxing history book 'Prizefighting : An American History' is best new book of this genre I have read in years. In fact it is among the best I have ever read. Author Arne K. Lang has done an outstanding job as he goes 'outside the box' in bringing to light the trials and tribulations of boxing's humble beginnings and brings us up to speed as the sport now booms in Las Vegas as a multi-million dollar operation. In reviving the sports past history as well reviewing the recent events of the last decades. 'Prizefighting' is well written and the outstanding effort of the author's research is apparent throughout the book. From the early days in jolly old England to the emergence of boxing as a popular sport in the United States, Lang serves up several slices of boxing's rich heritage to the reader. The author brings to life some of boxing's most influential participants like John L. Sullivan, Corbett, Jack Johnson, Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Ali, Julio Cesar Chavez and more. There are various chapters on the impact of many ethnic groups who have broadened the landscape of the sport. In essence this book is a wonderful walk through spectrum of the sport. I recommend this book to fans young and old. You will not be disappointed." - Jim Amato,
www.boxinginlasvegas.comTable of Contents
- Preface 1
- 1. Noblemen and Knockabouts 5
- 2. Diffusion to America 15
- 3. The Queensberry Antiseptic 25
- 4. The Watershed Fight 30
- 5. The Boomtown Boxing Phenomenon 34
- 6. The War and the Walker Law 49
- 7. The Golden Era 55
- 8. Fighters' Writers 63
- 9. Boxing and Jews 73
- 10. Hard Times and Hoaxes 89
- 11. Boxing and Blacks 96
- 12. Marcianomics 121
- 13. Floyd and Sonny 132
- 14. Tank Town Boxing in Las Vegas 139
- 15. The Doctor Makes a House Call 144
- 16. Las Vegas: The Transition Years 147
- 17. The Rise and Fall of Ali 154
- 18. Parking Lot Extravaganzas 166
- 19. The Iron Mike Express 177
- 20. Buster Craps Out 185
- 21. Mariachi Salsa 188
- 22. El Gran Campeón de Culiacan 194
- 23. Iron Mike II: Another Vegas Implosion 199
- 24. The Golden Boy 211
- 25. Lennox the Lion 218
- 26. The Wise Old Owl 224
- 27. Atomic Salsa 230
- 28. The "X" Factor 234
- 29. Shifting Sands 245
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Chapter Notes 251
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Bibliography 257
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Index 261
